


Scrap

by Celestialgamora



Series: Affair Era [1]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Affair era, Emotional Hurt, Insecurity, M/M, Mean Robert, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Sad Aaron Dingle, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-18 02:01:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14202600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celestialgamora/pseuds/Celestialgamora
Summary: With Adam out for the day, Robert takes a visit down to the scrap yard. He walks in to find Aaron contemplating over a piece of scrap metal.





	Scrap

**Author's Note:**

> So I just started watching the episodes with Gordon plot, and God Danny Miller's acting is beautiful. This is for the few people who on my last fic asked for more - I hope you guys enjoy!!

Sometimes it was hard working in the scrap yard.

Don't get him wrong, Aaron loved working there side by side with Adam. He got to see Vic every day, work with his best mate, and it wasn't so bad that Robert liked to drop in every so often. More than anything, Aaron liked working with his hands, liked that he was finally doing something with his life beyond worrying his mum, something to keep him busy. Anything to stop him from thinking. He loved the scrap yard. That being said, the job had some downsides.

Adam had taken the day off, something about taking Vic out to Manchester for the day. Not that Aaron minded, it meant he could listen to the radio instead of the EDM crap Adam liked. Even better was that he had some privacy if, more like when, Robert decided to drop by. Despite all that, Aaron had finished all the yard work by early afternoon, and he'd been sat in the office absently filling out the stack of paperwork he'd been avoiding all week. He just needed something to distract him. Not just from Robert's lies and Paddy's interfearing, though they'd both been bothering him lately. He had a piece of scrap metal on his desk, sharp and sweet and just what he needed.

He was too tempted. The paperwork helped.

Aaron had picked up the piece of metal for the hundredth time, covered in so many dirty fingerprints, when the door flung open. The piece of metal fell to the table, just catching Aaron's finger tip. He was relieved to see Robert walking in instead of one of his family. Who knows what he would have done if had been his uncle Cain stood watching him bleed, or God forbid his mum. He offered Robert a weak smile and hid his hand under the table. Robert didn't look convinced.

"Alright?" He asked. Aaron nodded sharply, but under his desk he was squeezing the pinprick cut until the blood had beaded there. Robert perched on the edge of the desk, watching Aaron cafefully. "You don't look alright, mate. Looks like you were about to-"

"I'm fine, Robert, what are you doing here?" Aaron grunted. Robert rolled his eyes.

"You're the one who text me, remember? Adam's not in, do you wanna come over," Robert lavished over his words. He pushed himself up off the desk, walking around until he was stood in front if Aaron. His fingers tangled in Aaron's high-vis jacket, slowly pulling him closer and forcing Aaron's hands in plain sight. For a second, Aaron thought that Robert would ignore the blood. There wasn't a lot, the cut was only small, he could hide it surely. Robert's face was only a few inches away, his ocean blue eyes scanning Aaron's, flicking down to his lips.

"Is this what you invited me over for?" His breath was warm on Aaron's skin. "Or did you want me here so I could watch you cut yourself."

Aaron pushed Robert away like he'd been scalded. It was his own fault, he shouldn't have thought for a second that Robert would care about him, and he shouldn't have raised his expectations of a cheat. Robert was laughing to himself, like something about the whole situation was funny, like Aaron wasn't sat there on the verge of tears. Anger bit into him. Aaron glared up at Robert, death in his eyes.

"Get out," he snapped.

"Oh, come on, Aaron," Robert was still chuckling to himself. "You have to admit, this is your own fault. Am I the one sat at work shredding themself? No, that would be you. It's all on you."

"Leave me alone, Robert," Aaron growled. The blond smirked, sat back down on the desk, right beside the piece of metal Aaron had been playing with. There was a small smudge of blood on it. Robert held it up to the light to look closer at it.

"Or what? You'll cut yourself again?" He snarked. His feet were balanced on the arms of Aaron's chair, stopping him from being able to get up.

Aaron pushed Robert away, couldn't face being near him never mind being touched by him. The fact Aaron dared turn him away wiped the smug smile off his face. He started frowning, and when his guard was down Aaron snatched the tiny piece if scrap metal from his fingers. A dark voice in the back of his head made him wish that Robert was bleeding too, just so he knew what it felt like. So maybe he could understand that sometimes he just needed it.

"Seriously Aaron," Robert said. His arrogant act had dropped, voice calm like he was concern. "Are you okay? Why are you doing this?" It was the sweetest Robert had been in weeks, and Aaron wanted nothing more than to lean into it. Instead, Aaron shrugged it off, couldn't let himself hope. Robert only wanted one thing from him.

"It's nothing, I just pricked my finger," Aaron lied. A tried and tested practice, lying had become second nature to him. He must've sounded confident, because Robert's frown softened. He almost even smiled.

"So, I told Chrissie I'd be out until five," Robert commented. "And I suppose Adam's out all day. Do you wanna do what you invited me down here to do?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively, and Aaron couldn't help but fall for it again. He grabbed the back of Robert's head and pulled him down for a kiss.

Everything else melted away, his mind empty of anything but thoughts of Robert. For a brief second, the world felt right. Then he felt Robert reaching for the hem of his shirt. Aaron cringed and swatted Robert's hand away, and it was soon forgotten as Robert began kissing down the side of Aaron's neck. Aaron couldn't forget; Robert made Aaron feel ashamed of his scars, something not even his own mum had made him feel. 

It was a shame that this, whatever he had with Robert, felt too good to let go.

**Author's Note:**

> So guys - what are your favourite moments in the affair era? Personally, bc I'm some kind of masochist, I'm a sucker for Aaron hurting so him falling over after running is my favourite bit. I also love Robert's vulnerability in the lodge.
> 
> Let me know below and I'll see if I can work my magic on the scene ;)
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!!


End file.
